Author: jemmalidgard (Page 1 of 5)

Roald Dahl Day

13/09/2023 / jemmalidgard / 0 Comments

Roald Dahl Day

Roald Dahl is the best-known 20th-century author for his imagination and children’s stories such as Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox, James, and the Giant Peach. Although, they are not your typical children’s books and can often take twists and turns with dark humour.

But did you know that James and the Giant Peach originally started off with a cherry?

Roald Dahl always had a spirit for adventure and even became an aircraftman in 1939 for the Royal Air Force. This inspired some of the characters and locations, like his family home in Buckinghamshire.

Dahl depicts heroic and villain protagonists from The Witches to Mr and Mrs Twit, to Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. They are brought to life with humorous vocabulary that turns them into mischievous characters. Dahl played around with new words and names such as the Oompa-Lumpas featured in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Not only did Roald Dahl write children’s books, but between also wrote gruesome adult fiction; Sometime Never, Pig and Tales of the Unexpected!

But have you ever wondered who also illustrates the characters in the books?

Sir Quentin Blake is an illustrator and is most known for illustrating Roald Dahl’s stories. His first illustration was for Punch magazine before designing children’s books. Blake worked with Dahl in the 1970s and illustrated the Enormous Crocodile.

For Roald Dahl’s stories, Blake uses black ink and a fountain pen to create scratchy, inky and blotted designs. He usually begins with a gesture or facial expression like this example of the Charlie, the lucky finder of the golden ticket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory:

Charlie and the golden ticket. Illustration by Quentin Blake.

You can find more about Roald Dahl’s work available in the library’s Box of Broadcasts:

https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ondemand/index.php/prog/0CD1CC91?bcast=132147891

You can find the ebook here:

https://napier.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/44NAP_INST/n96pef/alma9923522873202111

We even have a Spanish adaptation on DVD of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, starring Johnny Depp!

https://napier.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/44NAP_INST/n96pef/alma9920610750102111

Image of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory DVD starring Johnny Depp in Spanish, available at Merchiston Library.

Get involved in Roald Dahl’s Children’s Charity:

https://www.roalddahlcharity.org/

World Chocolate Day

07/07/2023 / jemmalidgard / 0 Comments

World Chocolate Day: Friday 7th of July 2023

Take a moment to indulge in World Chocolate Day!

Did you know that approximately 1 billion people from around the world eat chocolates every day?

This just shows that many of us cannot resist the temptation of chocolaty treats. Indeed chocolate is also the food of love! You might think chocolate is unhealthy, however dark chocolate has many health benefits. It creates a calm and happy mood, improves memory and even helps to keep that heart healthy… but remember everything in moderation!

What is the story of chocolate?

Chocolate begins from the pods of the cacao tree and is native to Central and South America. Pods g from the trunk and in the larger branches, which contain the cacao beans.

Did you know cacao is the botanical name for the unfermented beans and cocoa is the manufactured product? You can find more about the cocoa bean via our Library Search here:

History of Chocolate

Chocolate can be traced back to the Mayans. It was consumed in liquid form for celebrations and complimented most meals. It was often combined with chillies, water and honey. Furthermore, The Aztecs also believed that chocolate was sacred and used the cacao beans as currency- in fact, it was more valuable than gold!

During the industrial revolution, chocolate boomed. Half of the cacao butter was removed for the chocolate liquor and resulting in a creamier and improved quality. It was the modern era for cost-effective, machine-based chocolate.

John Cadbury opened the first shop in Birmingham in 1824 and has manufactured chocolate since. Due to the machinery, different types of chocolate have emerged and today it is a highly refined, edible confectionary.

Fair-trade chocolate

Fairtrade Chocolate supports changing the way cocoa is supplied, ethical working conditions and sustainable incomes for farmers and their families. You can recognise the fairtrade on products like this one below:

Find more about Fair Trade here: https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/Buying-Fairtrade/Chocolate/

Read more on Chocolate using LibrarySearch.napier.ac.uk

Let us know which is your favourite chocolate bar in the comments below?

Find more information

https://nationaltoday.com/world-chocolate-day/

https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-americas/history-of-chocolate

Image by: shri-wntFdvFPu5I-unsplash

Comic Relief (Red Nose Day)

15/03/2023 / jemmalidgard / 0 Comments

Comic Relief (Red Nose Day)

Comic Relief (Red Nose Day) is back on Friday the 17th , and you can find more information on how to get involved below: 

https://www.comicrelief.com/rednoseday 

Comic Relief was originally founded in 1985 by Screen Writer Richard Curtis and British Charity Worker Jane Tewson. It is an annual campaign to end child poverty throughout the world, aiming to keep children safe, healthy, and educated. Comedian Lenny Henry introduced the first night in 1988 and from then on it has revolutionised fundraising in other shows like the Comic Relief British Bake-off.

Red Nose Day 1988 (Griff Rhys Jones, Lenny Henry and Jonathan Ross)

Even celebrities such as Mr. Blobby and Joanna Lumley have come together to support the charity! Every year many more celebrities get involved to raise awareness and money.

But why do people wear red noses for Comic Relief?

The Red nose is the symbol of comic relief, worn to raise awareness of the campaign. The first design was introduced in 1988 and each year the designs are updated. The noses are now 100% plastic-free, made from bagasse which is a dry fibre after sugar canes are crushed for their juice. Each year there are different designs and this year you can find key rings, badges and even water bottles with exotic animals like flamingos and sloths!

Last year, over 55 million pounds was raised for Comic Relief in the UK. So, to help raise money this year you can fundraise online, host a quiz or game, donate to dress up (perhaps fancy dress), bake some delicious cakes, or buy a red nose from your local Sainsbury’s!

By Jemma Lidgard

Winter and Christmas in Edinburgh

20/12/2022 / jemmalidgard / 0 Comments

Glossary:

Dreich – tedious; damp and wet (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-50476008)

Hogmanay – New Year’s Eve (in Scotland)

If it’s your first Winter in Edinburgh: you’re in for a treat! Edinburgh tends to get crisp and cold between December and February (ok, sometimes wet, and dreich too…) but there’s plenty going on and our city is buzzing over Christmas and the New Year.

Winter Walks

If you’re willing to wrap up warm, why not take a walk around Arthur’s seat? Arthur’s seat is an extinct volcano in the centre of Edinburgh, near to coffee shops on the Royal Mile if you need a gingerbread latte to warm up afterwards.

Another lovely place to go in the frost or snow is Dalkeith country park – there are festive events on too! There are many trails to walk in this beautiful park, set over 1,000 acres. The park has a rich history, having been in the Buccleuch family for over 300 years. The site dates back to the Roman times.

Another option is to head up Calton hill for a panoramic view of the city lit up in full Christmas mode – it’s not a difficult walk up the steps. You can also see the National Monument and Nelson monument. This is a popular spot on Hogmanay to take in the fireworks too.

Calton Hill in the snow

Picture Credit: Pixabay

A little further afield but worth a trip is the lovely Roslin Glen. You can see the ruin of what was once Scotland’s largest gunpowder mill. You can also see the impressive and partly ruined Roslin Castle. A short walk through the glen takes you to the famous Rosslyn Chapel, founded in 1446 by Sir William St Clair. In the New Year, you might see the snowdrops starting to come out in the Glen.

Finally, another bracing walk in the wintertime is a walk along the promenade at Cramond. If you so desire, you can walk from Silverknowes along to Cramond and if you’re feeling adventurous and have checked the tide times , you can walk over to Cramond island. According to the Cramond Association, Cramond is the oldest known site of human habitation in Scotland.

Christmas Lights

If you’re looking to soak up some festive illuminations, there are a number of options in Edinburgh!

In the city centre, the Christmas Market lights up Princes Street Gardens with an Ice rink, big wheel and Christmas tree maze – https://showcatcher.com/edwinterfest/christmas.

At the west end of Princes Street garden, you’ll find Santaland, with a festive family funfair.

George Street also boasts Christmas lights and an enormous Christmas tree which can be seen at the top of the mound – apparently this tree has a history, and is a gift from Norway each year. This tradition dates back to WW2.

Looking for more lights? The Botanic Gardens hosts a light trail each year, which is pretty spectacular, and you couldn’t ask for a nicer backdrop. Have a look at Christmas at the Botanics for more information.

Another light spectacular to take in this winter is Edinburgh Castle’s ‘Castle of Light’. This involves projecting light onto the castle’s walls and ramparts and a historical walking tour.

Last but not least, Edinburgh is well known for its Hogmanay celebrations, and in 2022 Edinburgh will host its giant street party once again. For the uninitiated, Hogmanay is the Scottish word for New Year’s Eve.

The celebrations also include live music and a huge fireworks display at midnight. Lots of kissing, hugging, and dancing ensues!

Looking for something quieter?

If you’re looking for a cosy corner to curl up in when it’s cold and snowy, come to one of our campus libraries. You can check our festive opening hours here.

You can borrow Library items from Friday 9 December 2022, and you won’t need to return them before Monday 16 January 2023. Full details can be found here.

Remember, we’re always here online too – you can continue to access ebooks, ejournals and databases using  LibrarySearch, even if physical libraries are closed.

By Judy Wheeler

Winter and Christmas recommendations

05/12/2022 / jemmalidgard / 0 Comments

Winter and the Christmas holidays are just around the corner, so it’s time to get cosy, put your feet up and get your fluffy socks on, have a hot drink, and enjoy some winter-warming content!

Here are some of the library recommendations this season:

Dr Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas

The Grinch is a solitary creature that lives on Mount Crumpit and tries to cancel Christmas by stealing decorations and presents in the town of Whoville on Christmas Eve.

Merchiston DVD Collection 791.4334 HOW

The Grinch with a coffee Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

This classic novel addresses social class and human values, about an orphan named Pip, who encounters Magwitch an escaped convict, and Miss Havisham a spinster rejected by her lover on her wedding day. Pip falls in love with Estella who has been raised by Miss Havisham taught to show unrequited love.

https://napier.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/44NAP_INST/13v8mut/alma9920447910102111

Merchiston Main stock 823.8 DIC

The Winter’s Tale William Shakespeare

A play in five acts- a romance or tragic comedy, consumed with jealousy and the power of love. In the first half, Leontes imprisons his pregnant wife on suspicion of infidelity. In the second half his lost daughter is rescued by shepherds and has fallen in love with a young prince.

https://napier.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/44NAP_INST/13v8mut/alma9920698270102111

Merchiston Main stock 822.33 SHA

The Nutcracker

This is the most popular ballet and takes place during a Christmas party, where a young child named Clara is gifted a nutcracker doll and at night the doll comes to life in a twist of magical adventures.

You can watch the Royal Ballet on Box of Broadcasts:

https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ondemand/index.php/prog/001048B6?bcast=76072199

The Nutcracker Ballet Photo by Hudson Hintze on Unsplash

The Chronicles of Narnia. The lion, the witch, and the wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Fantasy novel set in World War Two, where four children are evacuated to live in the countryside. Upon which they discover a wardrobe that leads to a mysterious land named Narnia, inhabited by Mythical creatures, and ruled by the White Witch.

Merchiston DVD collection 791.4372 CHR

You can find more resources on our Christmas reading list here.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

03/12/2022 / jemmalidgard / 0 Comments

Held annually on 3 December International Day of Persons with Disabilities was established by the United Nations (UN) in 1992 with the aim of promoting the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities, and breaking down the social and physical barriers faced which prevent persons with disabilities from participating fully in many aspects of daily life.

Edinburgh Napier University welcomes people with disabilities, long-term health conditions and specific learning difficulties and is committed to providing students with support in all aspects of University life and aims to provide a positive and supportive environment for all students.

The Library aims to support people with disabilities and those with individual needs by providing services such as assistance when collecting items from shelves and understanding library layouts, providing texts in digital formats, and enabling a designated friend/family member (with permission) to act on your behalf. If you require them, there are height-adjustable desks and accessible toilets in each of the Libraries.

For eligible students with a print impairment, the Disability Inclusion Team can also set up accounts to Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) Bookshare, a huge online digital library. RNIB Bookshare opens up the world of reading in education for learners with a print-disability, including those with dyslexia or who are blind or partially sighted.

Laptop on a desk Photo by Christopher Gower on Unsplash

There are many different assistive technology products, equipment, and systems available to enhance learning, working, and daily living for students with disabilities and learning difficulties. The products available to help you with your studies are listed on the Assistive Technology webpages in the Disability Inclusion section on My Napier. These include browser extensions you can install to help with reading, focusing, and viewing documents. Software available includes ClaroRead, a multi-sensory software solution for supporting reading and writing, with visual tools that colour, highlight, and focus on difficult-to-read text, and allows you to read any on-screen text out loud. Sonocent Audio Notetaker is an audio recording app which allows you to annotate your audio recording by adding text notes and coloured category highlighting, either live or when listening back to the recording. These are just a few of the products available to you. Why not have a look at the webpage and see if there might be something to help your studies.

If you are looking for support or would like to find out more about how the Disability Inclusion Team can help you, all the information you need is on the Disability Inclusion webpages on My Napier or you can email disabilityandinclusion@napier.ac.uk.

If you have any questions about how the Library can support you, please email us at library@napier.ac.uk, phone us on 0131 455 3500, or see our Library webpages.

By Sarah Jeffcott

St Andrew’s Day

30/11/2022 / jemmalidgard / 0 Comments

What is Saint Andrew’s Day?

Each year St Andrew’s day, or the feast day of Saint Andrew, is celebrated in Scotland on 30th November.

St Andrew has officially been the patron saint of Scotland since 1320 when Scotland became independent with the Declaration of Arbroath.

St Andrew is not only the patron saint of Scotland; we share our patron saint with Romania, Greece, Russia, Ukraine, and Poland, among others.

A patron saint is regarded as a protector or guide of a nation, place or person. https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/st-andrews-day-november-30-22264412

Saint Andrew Source

Who was Saint Andrew?

Although not a huge amount is known about Saint Andrew, according to the Christian faith Andrew the apostle was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He was also the brother of Simon Peter, who would become Saint Peter.

He was born in what is now known as Israel, probably between 5 and 10AD. St Andrew was one of the first disciples of Jesus: according to the Gospels of Mark and Matthew, Andrew and Peter were fishermen, who were said to have followed Jesus immediately when he said to them “I will make you fishers of men”.

Saint Andrew is said to have travelled far and wide during his life to preach the teachings of Jesus. It is also alleged that St Andrew was crucified on an ‘X’ shaped cross, which is why the Scottish flag (the Saint Andrew’s Cross) has a white cross on it.

Source

How can I celebrate Saint Andrew’s Day?

St Andrew’s day can be celebrated by donning your kilt for a ceilidh (Scottish dancing) and listening to Scottish music, partaking of some Scottish food or a dram o’ whisky perhaps. There may be local events that you can join in with too – see the links below for some ideas:

What’s On Edinburgh

Visit Scotland

Edinburgh Guide

Read more about Scottish History 📚

If you want to learn more about Scottish History, check out the shelves at Sighthill Campus at Dewey number 941 or search LibrarySearch – here are some examples of articles and books held within our treasure trove of a library catalogue 😊:

Rowlands, E. W., & Masaccio. (2003). Masaccio Saint Andrew and the Pisa altarpiece. Getty Publications.

https://napier.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/44NAP_INST/19n0mho/cdi_proquest_reports_199722299

Carver, M. (2009). Early Scottish Monasteries and Prehistory: A Preliminary Dialogue. Scottish Historical Review, 88(2), 332–351. https://doi.org/10.3366/E0036924109000894 https://napier.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/44NAP_INST/19n0mho/cdi_jstor_primary_27867579

Fergusson, & Elliott, M. W. (2019). The history of Scottish theology. Volume II, From the early Enlightenment to the late Victorian era (Fergusson & M. W. (Mark W. . Elliott, Eds.; First edition.). Oxford University Press. https://napier.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/44NAP_INST/n96pef/alma9923629314302111
Scotland under her Early Kings: A History of the Kingdom to the Close of the Thirteenth Century; Vol. 1. (1862). Edmonston and Douglas. https://napier.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/44NAP_INST/n96pef/alma9923629314302111

Learn more about LibrarySearch here.

Sources:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/20556587

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Andrew

https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/st-andrews-day-november-30-22264412

By Judy Wheeler

Edinburgh Napier’s Repository – a home for the university’s research

28/11/2022 / jemmalidgard / 0 Comments

Edinburgh Napier’s repository – a home for the university’s research

A repository is a kind of digital archive for storing all the research outputs created by a university’s academics and researchers. Most importantly, it also makes much of this research publicly available for everyone to read and download. The Edinburgh Napier Research Repository is the home for Edinburgh Napier’s research. We moved to the current repository platform earlier this year, so it might look a little different now if you were familiar with the old one.

Open Access

Making research open access in the repository benefits researchers whose work can be more widely read and cited. It’s also great for students who can access research much more easily. Almost every university has a repository now. so you can use aggregator services like CORE to find research from around the world. CORE includes the 20,000+ outputs from Napier’s repository and millions more as well. Take a look at our open-access LibGuide with more tips for finding open-access research.

Screenshot of the University Research Repository

WorkTribe

For Edinburgh Napier academics and researchers who want to curate their own profile or add new research outputs to the repository, just log in to Worktribe using your usual university credentials. If you need any help, check out the support pages on the intranet or feel free to email repository@napier.ac.uk with any questions about open access – including publishing open-access journal articles using one of the library’s publisher deals.

The repository is not just for academic staff though. In fact, Research students can be set up with a profile if they have publications to share. Furthermore, all postgraduate theses awarded by Edinburgh Napier are made available in the repository and then included in the British Library’s national thesis collection for anyone to read.

And that’s what repositories are all about. Making it easier for everyone to find and share the knowledge our universities create.

By Stuart Lawson

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

World Television Day

21/11/2022 / jemmalidgard / 0 Comments

World Television Day

The invention of the television was revolutionary. It is largely credited to Scottish inventor John Logie Baird who rolled out commercial usage in the 1920s. But the term television is believed to have been created by Russian scientist Constantin Perskyi, tele is ancient Greek for far while visio is Latin for sight. The usage of the name TV dates to 1948, but when we in Britain started using the word telly, I can’t say. Since its invention, the television has changed the world and impacted our lives in ways that the inventors never imagined. On the 21^st of November, we recognise that impact.

History

World Television Day was announced by the United Nations in 1996 following the first World Television Forum in the previous November. Since then, World Television Day has become an annual recognised day. The World Television forum was not simply to celebrate but to recognise the impact that television has on ‘public opinion and world decision making’. Television was the starting point of communication and transparency in the world.

Library Resources

However, the most obvious way to mark this day is of course to watch television. And at the library, we have access to the humble yet mighty Box of Broadcasts, also known as BOB. Since 1948. BOB has led ‘the discovery, citation and responsible use of audio-visual material in education and research’. You will be able to find BOB on LibrarySearch, make sure you are signed in to have complete access. BOB has access to over 75 ‘free to air channels’, access to 10 foreign language channels and over 3 million broadcasts on its database. Not only that but you can create your own playlist, watch on the device, embed links, and use them for academic referencing. We can’t shout the praises of BOB enough; it is truly a marvellous database that we can’t recommend enough.

By Maya Green

Image source: Photo by Stephen Monterroso on Unsplash

Children in Need

18/11/2022 / jemmalidgard / 0 Comments

Friday 18th November sees Children in need return to our screens.

But what is it about?

Every year, the BBC and other partners join a huge fundraising drive to raise money for children’s charities across the UK. This culminates in a BBC TV Appeal show on Friday 18th November where celebrities come together to provide entertainment, raise funds, and inspire people to donate to the cause by sharing stories of the children the charity supports.

“We fund thousands of charities and projects in every corner of the UK, that support children and young people to feel and be safer, have improved mental health and wellbeing, form better, more positive relationships and be given more equal opportunities to flourish.”

This blog post will take a little look at the history of Children in Need and how you can watch the action using the University’s subscription to BoB (Box of Broadcasts)!

History of Children in Need

Here are some highlights from the almost one hundred years that Children in Need has been fundraising:

1927 saw (or heard!) the first ever children’s BBC radio appeal, with £1300 raised for children’s charities.
It wasn’t until 1955 that the first televised appeal graced our screens – a Christmas appeal presented by Sooty and Harry Corbett.
In 1980, the first Children in Need telethon raised £1 million, presented by Terry Wogan, Sue Lawley and Esther Rantzen.
In 1985, Pudsey Bear became the BBC Children in Need mascot. He has had several makeovers over the years, going from brown to yellow and has also changed the design of his bandana a few times!

In 2007, at 22 years old, he became the Pudsey we know today, with a colourful polka-dotted bandana.
2011 and 2012 saw Matt Baker take on the Rickshaw challenge, and in 2009 Children in Need celebrated its 30th televised appeal.
In 2018, £1 billion had been raised for Children in Need since 1980. Wow!

For a complete history of Children in Need see the links at the bottom of the page.

Pudsey Bear on a blue circle

Appeal Night Friday 18th November:

This year the Children in Need programme is called the ‘Great SPOTacular Appeal Night’ on Friday 18th November, and will be live on BBC One and iPlayer.

The presenters for this year have been announced, you can see them here.

Not in on Friday 18th November? Don’t worry, you can catch up on Box of Broadcasts.

Box of Broadcasts (BoB) gives students and staff at Edinburgh Napier access to TV and radio recordings. BoB allows you to view TV and radio programmes from the BBC and choose and record upcoming broadcast programmes (you need to be in the UK to use BoB).

BoB is available at Learning on Screen or via the LibrarySearch A-Z Database list.

See BoB short video tutorials and frequently asked questions.

For more info about Children in Need and Box of Broadcasts:

https://www.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/about-us/what-we-do/

https://www.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/about-us/history/

https://my.napier.ac.uk/library/finding-resources/tv-for-learning

By Judy Wheeler

Author: jemmalidgard (Page 1 of 5)

Roald Dahl Day

Roald Dahl Day

Like this:

World Chocolate Day

Take a moment to indulge in World Chocolate Day!